Cancel Student Debt, Boost the Economy | Medium

May 28, 2019

In April, Senator Elizabeth Warren released a bold plan for free public college and debt cancellation. This transformational proposal takes direct aim at some of the deepest inequities in education in America, and it’s funded by her Ultra-Millionaire tax on wealth above 50 million. The plan includes a $50 billion minimum fund for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions, and will make public college tuition-free at both two- and four-year institutions.

Turning to Courts for Loan Forgiveness | Inside Higher Ed

May 28, 2019

Earlier this year, Sarah Dieffenbacher closed the book on a two-year legal fight with the U.S. Department of Education over her student loan debt. But the resolution was unsatisfying to Dieffenbacher. Instead of getting a ruling on the loan-forgiveness claim she filed for debt racked up at the former Everest College, the department discharged her loans through bankruptcy court.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s two-year effort to chisel away at the Obama administration’s education agenda has repeatedly been blocked by federal courts. Now, she is trying a different tactic: not enforcing the rules.

Education Department Has Stalled on Debt Relief for Defrauded Students | New York Times

April 5, 2019

The Education Department failed to approve a single application for federal student loan relief in the second half of last year, according to new department data that signals that students who claim they were cheated by their colleges cannot count on help from Washington anytime soon.

Thousands of students who say they were scammed by their schools applied for debt relief — they’re still waiting | MarketWatch

April 2, 2019

Applications for debt relief from students who say they’ve been scammed by their schools have been languishing at the Department of Education. That’s according to data from the agency requested and published late last week by the office of Senator Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee, which oversees the Department.

It’s been five months since a federal court ordered Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to give defrauded student loan borrowers relief, but more than 100,000 people are still waiting to hear whether their debt will be canceled.

Judges Keep Slapping Down Poor Betsy DeVos! | Wonkette

March 25, 2019

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is terrible at her job. Her objectives and overall mission are evil, but if it’s any consolation she can’t effectively implement them. After buying her Cabinet position at Sotheby’s, DeVos has spent the past two years trying to roll back Obama-era policies designed to protect and actually educate students. Unfortunately for her evil schemes, federal courts keep smacking down her slimy efforts. It’s getting embarrassing.

The Education Department said on Friday that it will begin enforcing an Obama-era ban on colleges using mandatory arbitration agreements, after a federal judge last fall thwarted the Trump administration’s efforts to stop the policy.

The U.S. Department of Education is sending emails to about 15,000 people across the country telling them: You’ve got money. These are former students — and some parents of students — who took out loans for colleges that shut down between Nov. 1, 2013, and Dec. 4, 2018. About half attended campuses run by Corinthian Colleges. They will get their money back or have their debt forgiven — an amount estimated at $150 million, all told — under a provision called Automatic Closed School Discharge.

The Project is part of the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School (LSC), a community law office and clinical teaching site of the law school. Clinical students join the Project’s staff to litigate cases on behalf of clients, in partnership with community-based organizations and advocacy organizations.

This website is neither a solicitation nor an offer to represent you concerning any legal problem. The information conveyed on this website is not legal advice and is not intended to and does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and our law firm or any attorney with our firm. Please be aware that unsolicited letters, emails, and faxes do not create an attorney-client relationship, and you should not send any confidential information to us unless and until you and our firm enter into a formal agreement establishing an attorney-client relationship. You can read Harvard Law School's Privacy Statement here.